Wild Mushroom Risotto, Grilled Corn on the Cob and Green Beans

This meal was soooo good! The corn turned out better than expected (it was my first time doing corn on the bbq), the beans were light and crunchy, and the risotto, well, it was sublime.

Tip: Organic corn on the cob at Whole Foods right now for $1.29 each, organic green beans $3.99 a pound.

Wild Mushroom Risotto:

1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, chopped

10 small dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 cup boiling water

1 small onion, diced

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1 cup arborio rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (I used tarragon, chives, and thyme)

1 bouillon cube disolved in 3 cups simmering water

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Boil some water in a kettle and pour 1 cup over your dried shiitake mushrooms and let sit for 15 minutes or so.

In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil then dissolve the bouillon cube into water and turn down to a low simmer, keeping warm for later when you will add it to the risotto.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Next add your chopped oyster mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes.

Take the shiitakes out of the water and pour that water into the stock you have simmering on the stove. Chop the shiitakes and add them to the large skillet with the other mushrooms, onions, etc.

Now add the arborio rice, and stir in for 1 minute. Then add 1 cup of your simmering liquid and stir, reducing heat to medium low. Let all the water become absorbed, and then add another ladle of liquid and repeat this process until you have used all the liquid, about 20 minutes. At the very end add your fresh chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper and be ready to be blown away by this dairy-free, rich and creamy risotto.

Grilled Corn on the Cob:

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn, in the husk

2 tablespoons vegan margarine, softened

3 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs (again I used tarragon, chives and thyme, to compliment the risotto)

Method:

Soak corn in the husks for about 20 minutes (this prevents burning on the grill), mix together vegan margarine and herbs and set aside.

Pull back the husks to reveal the corn while making sure they remain attached. Rub each cob with some herbed butter and pull the husks back up and tie at the end with a thin piece of husk. Grill for 15 minutes over medium heat while turning 2-3 times.

To serve, pull back husks and chop off at end leaving a bit of the knob to hold on to. So sweet and juicy!

Super Simple Green Beans:

Lightly steam your beans (3-4 minutes tops) and rinse with some cool water when done. This stops the cooking process and keeps them crunchy. Then, squeeze half a lemon, drizzle with with olive oil and sprinkle with salt – voila!

I really hope you enjoy this meal. My carnivorous boyfriend thought it was fantastic and flavourful and he didn’t feel it was missing anything. Whether you eat meat or not, a veggie-rich meal like this is always good for your heart…and soul